Musical theatre isn’t a genre of music for everyone. However, even musical theatre haters sometimes feel drawn to movie musicals. Music, of whatever kind, has a way of brightening up those grim days and making us feel a little better about things. Not all musicals are happy and have happy endings, but, despite the tragic ends of some of their characters, it’s the music that stays with us. In view of this, and the horrible weather that has been plaguing Cornwall for a while now, here are three great movie musicals to watch when the dreary weather or life in general is getting you down.
1. Grease
This movie has received a lot of flack in the past few years due to the way it treats Sandy’s transformation. No matter your opinion on the characters, you cannot deny the power of the music and the boundless energy of the actors in this particular musical. Some of the songs have made their way into pop culture itself, and have come back into people’s consciousness due to the live version that was aired on TV in 2016. If anything else, it deserves to be watched for the 1950s ambience it exudes, as well as the incredible choreography.
2. RENT
There’s no doubt that I am biased about this musical as I hold it up as one of my favourite movies. The message of hope and endurance in the face of suffering this movie transmits to its audience can’t be denied. The topics explored in this movie can be hard to sit through – from drug addiction to AIDS – but the acting is superb, made all the more poignant by the fact that most of the actors originated with their roles on Broadway and are familiar with the music and characters. The opening notes of “Seasons of Love” have been recognized as one of the most well-known musical openings, and they ensure that despite the sadness evident in this song, its message about the enduring power of love will be heard.
3. The Sound of Music
This was the musical of my childhood, and a constant whenever the weather prevented any outside activity. Julie Andrews remains one of the great figures of musical theater, and despite the horrible and scary period the movie is set in, the power of music is never more felt in this movie as it brings a family back together again. “Do-Re-Mi” is a song that still resonates with a lot of people who sang this over and over after seeing the film. The opening sequence is also memorable and will most assuredly make you want to visit Austria. There is a certain sadness in watching the movie today, due to the sudden deaths of two of the actresses who played Liesl and Louisa, but it still remains of the great movies and soundtracks of many people’s childhood memories.
Musicals have their own particular fans, but even some music lovers are inspired by the power and beauty that lies behind this type of music. It is rather unfortunate that most movie musicals today are based around sad stories like Les Miserables, or don’t end well for the lovers as exemplified by La La Land, but the catchy tunes in these movies are hard to ignore and even harder not to sing-along to!